Valve-spring lifter and compressor



May 21, 1929. w K'ULP 1,713,763

VALVE SPRING LIFTER AND COMPRESSOR Original Filed March 5, 1925Inuegnzar: liarfy ZaKuZ Patented May 21, 1929.

UNlTED STATES 1,713,763 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. KULP, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TOMARTIN C. D'ELLINGER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA;

VALVE-SPRING LIFTER AND COMPRESSOR.

Application filed March 5, 1925, Serial No. 13,251. Renewed October 10,1928.

This invention relates to valve spring lifters. Devices of this generalclass are designed more especially for use in freeing the stems of thevalves of internal combustion engines from their springs so that theymay be ground, or so that they may be removed, and in order to so freethe valve stems it is necessary to compress and lift the lower portionof the valve spring so that the pin or other spring holding means may beremoved from the stem.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a heavy duty springlifter or compressor tool which is operated by the closing of theoperators hand; to provide in such a device means for increasing, by asupple mental'sliding lever construction, the power applied to thehandles 8 and 3 so that the requisite power to compress and lift thelower ends of powerful valve springs such as used on the largercommercial automobile trucks and some tractors and powerful passengercars may be attained without need for increasing the length of the mainlevers or handles or otherwise increasing or changing its size, bulk orshape in any manner such as to render it clumsy or difficult tomanipulate with one hand; to provide for keeping the operative jaws ofthe tool substantially in registry in a vertical direction and tomaintain them substantially parallel to each other throughout theirrange of relative movement toward and away from each other in order thatthe spring being acted upon will be acted upon evenly on all sides in aline parallel with the valve stem; and to increase the durability ofsuch devices while maintainingeconomy of material and labor of-assemblyin their manufacture in order that they may be sold at a reasonableprice.

The device of this present invention is especially designed for, andintended for use in connection with, the more powerful valve springssuch as commonly used in the larger and. more powerful internal.combustion engines for the larger commercial trucks and tractors, thoughit may also, of course, be used in connection with the less powerfulsprings of the average passenger automobile eng1ne.

Likewise, it may be provided with any suitable locking means forautomatically, or otherwise, locking it in operation against the actionof the spring compressed, for instance, with the locking means shown inthe patent to Kulp & Dellinger No. 1,461,275, granted July 10, 1923. i

1n the accompanying drawings illustratmg but one embodiment of myinvention simply by way of example as by law required:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a device embodying my inventionin one extreme position;

Figure 2, a similar viewthereof in the other extreme position, andpartially broken away;

Figure 8, a top plan view of the device with the parts in the positionof Fig. 2; and

Figure 4, a front elevation of the device with the parts in the positionof Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, l indicates a straight channel,preferably stamped heavy sheet metal bar or lever having a forked orbifurcated operative front end or jaw '2, and being continued-inaslightly offset curved handle or hand grip 3.

The sides of the lever 1 intermediate their ends are provided each witha slot 4, the slot 4 in the one side being of the same size and shape asthe slot 4: in the other side, and the two slots 4 beingin registry in alateral direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of lever 1,said slots 4 being provided in order that the'connecting rivet rod orpin 9 may have free movement without obstruction.

The side walls of the handle or grip 3, which is a continuation of thelever 1, are perforated in their forward portions to receive theanchoring rivet pin 12.

A sheet metal slidefi corresponding in cross-sectional exterior contourto the internal cross-sectional contour of the lever 1, and of such sizeas to fit between the sides thereof and make a freely sliding fitbetween the sides and bottom thereof substantially in contact withsuchfaces is slidably mounted therein so as to lie mostly between the slots4c and to have sliding motion lengthwise of the lover 1 at such portionthereof and is perforated in both sides for the passage of the saidrivet pin or rod 9.

' Also, the slide .5 will be of substantial length as shown, being inlength preferably approximately three times its widthto ensure a longsliding bottom face and sides, guarding against twisting or canting orany tendency to bind or stick against or between the opposed faces ofthe lever 1 under stress of actual use.

The slide=5 may have the medial portions oi; the'upper portlons oi itssides continued up in perl'orated lugs or ears 6 as shown, or

theentire side portions oi the slide oinay be made higher, according topreference.

A bell-crank lever 7 having bell-crank legs straddling the lever-;1,'and having its normally long arm deflected at an angle into ahandle or hand-grip 8, has its'legs connect ed together and to the slide5, and slidably to the lever 1, by the rivet pin or red 9 which passesthrough the said legs at the point oi the angle where the long andshort" arms oi the belhcrank lever inergeand servesas a sliding fulcrumei'or said'lever 7, the ends of said rivet pin 9 being riveted over orspread against the adjacent portions of the outer faces 01- therespective iegs of said bell-crank lever 7. Said rivet 9 passes throughthe lower perforations in the sides of slide 5'a'nd makes a snug fitinsaid perforations, aswell as the perforations in the legs ofhellcranklever 7' to avoid any loss of motion, and extends through theslots 1 in the respective sides of the lever 1 and has sliding motion insaid slots in'accordance with the movement of the slide 1") and thesliding pivotal more inent of the'b'ellcrank lever 7-.

' The normally long deflected arm of the lever 7 is provided in its sideportions or legs with perforationswhich register in a lat eral directiontaken at right angles to the axis of said'legs, which perforations areso locatedasfto be atall times, throughout the range" of :moveinento't'the parts at ahigher point than the rods or rivets 9 and 12', and arivet pin or rod 10 passing through said p forations and a registeringperforation in the upper and {forward end of a supplementalstraightarin' or lever 11 servesto'perinm nently and pivotally connectthe forward end handle 3'will' result in slight of said lever '11 andsaid bellcrank'lever 7 together. Th'eloweran'd rear end portion'oi leverllmay be permanently pivotally connected to the handle 3' lever 1 in theinanner shown, that is to say, by means of the rlvet' pin 12, whichpasses through the perit'orations inthe sides ofthe handle 3 and aregistering perforation in the lower and rear ina straightorsubstantially straight verticalline, such forward movement beingcaused by the push of the'lever 11 its end portions the rivet pin 17.

approach the horizontal from the vertical, so increasing the distance,longitudinally of the device, between the pins and 12, such movement ofthe handle 8 also resulting in the turning of the bell-crank lever 7 asa whole about its sliding fulcrum pin 9, and so moving the jaw 13 awayfrom the jaw 2, this construction giving a very sturdy and powerfuldevice which is,.however,"of convenient size, shape and construction soas to be especially adaptedfor hand only. L Y I r V Taking up nowthe'jawconstruction and the means whereby they are maintainedsubstantially paralleland substantially in registry in a vertical planethroughout the range of their relative movement,'the jaw 2 may beintegral'with, and immovable with manipulation with one relation to, thelever 1 as shown'and as above described,-but'thejaw 13 is aplatepivotally mounted, preferably as shown, on the fr'ont end portions ofthe legs of the bell-crank lever 7, and for] this purpose it will havedepending perforated preferably integral vers tical sides whichfit'against the outeriaces of the legs of said bell-crank lever 7-, anda pivot pin 141 snugly fitting in and passingthiough the perforationsin'said sides of the jaw 13 and'in registering perforations in theinterwarm portions of the bell-crank; lever 7 serves to permanentlypivotally connect the j aw 13 and the front end'portions'oit' the legsof the bell-crank'lever 7. I F Inorderthat said jaws 13 may at all timesunder conditions or use be m'aintainedfih'Substantially"parallelrelation to jaw 2 I pro- "vide a radius rod, or preferably two radiusrods 15, as shown, the Qrespective' ends of which "are pivotallyconnected to the jaw '13 by means of arivet pin 16 and pivotally to thelugs vor ears 6 of the slide 5 by means of The upper and front ends ofthe' radius rods preferably are heldproporly spaced from each other byany suitable means, such asa spacing sleeve 18, and" preferably areheldproperly spaced from the adjacent faces ofthe aw 13 by anv suitablemeans, such as spacing vashers or short sleeves 19, and their rear fandlower ends are held. 'cl'os'elyadjacent the' outer faces of the lugs 6by their connecting rivet pin 17, andfso held inproper position. v

' The pivot pins 9 an d- 17 are so arranged and'held by the material ofslide 5' and its preferably integral lugs or cars 6 that their axes willbe parallel and will at all times he in the same vertical plane, so thatas the slide moves lengthwiseof the lever 1 in ac-. cordance with therelative movement of the handles 8 and 8 theradius rods 15 will changetheir positions from-the-extreme shown in Fig. 1 tofthe extremeshown inFig. 2 to at all times maintain the parallel axes of the rivet pins 1 1and 16 in the same, preferably vertical, plane as shown in Figs. 1 and'2 whereby the operative face of pivoted jaw 13 will always bemaintained in the same relative position to the rigid jaw 2 throughoutthe range of relative movement of the levers 1 and 7 as the jaw 13 movesaway from or toward the aw 2.

Obviously the invention is susceptible of various departures andmodifications of details from the construction shown in the accompanyingdrawing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a valve spring compressor, a lever, and a jaw carried by saidlever, said lever being formed with a slot, in combination with anangular lever, means passing through said angular lever substantially atthe intersection of its angles and through the slot in the other leverto slidably and pivotally connect said levers together, a supplementallever connected to said angular lever to the rear of, and above, saidmeans and to the first mentioned lever to the rear of, and below, thepoint of connection of said supplemental lever to said angular lever,and a jaw pivotally mounted on said angular lever, the relation of saidlevers and said supplemental lever being such that said jaws will bemaintained substantially in registry throughout the range of relativemovement oi said levers. i 2. In a valve spring compressor and litter, alever, a jaw carried by said lever, and a slide mounted for longitudinalreciprocatory movement with relation to said lever, in combination witha sliding lever pivotally connected to said slide, a movable jaw mountedon said sliding lever, and means associated with said slide and movablejaw for maintaining said movable jaw substantially parallel to the firstmentioned jaw through out the range of movement of said levers.

8. In a valve spring lifter and compressor, a lever, a jaw carried bysaid lever, and a reciprocatory element, in combination with a slidinglever slidably and pivotally connected to said first mentioned lever, amovable aw mounted on said sliding lever, means for transmitting motionfrom said sliding lever to said element to cause it to move in accordance with the movement of the latter, and means associated with saidelement and said movable jaw for maintaining said movable jawsubstantially parallel to the first mentioned aw throughout the range ofrelative movement of said levers.

4. In a valve spring litter and compressor, a lover, a jaw carried bysaid lever, and a reciprocatory element, in combination with a slidinglever slidably and pivotally connected to said first mentioned lever, amovable jaw mounted on said sliding lever, means for causing saidelement to move in accordance with the relative movement of said levers,and means associated with said element and said movable jaw formaintaining said movable jaw substantially parallel to the firstmentioned jaw throughout the range of relative movement of said levers.

5. In a valve spring lifter and compressor, a lever, a aw carried bysaid lever,-and a reciprocatory element, in combination with a slidinglever slid-ably and pivotally connected to said first mentioned lever, amovable jaw mounted on said sliding lever, means for causing saidelement to move in accordance with the relative movement of said levers,means associated with said element and said movable jaw for maintainingsaid movable jaw substantially parallel to the first mentioned jawthroughout the range of relative movement of said levers, and asupplemental lever pivotally connected to each of said levers to forcethe sliding lever longitudinally of the first mentioned lever as saidsliding lever turns about its pivot.

6. In a valve spring litter and compressor, a slotted lever, a jawcarried by said lever, and a slide, in combination with an angularlever, means extending through said angular lever and the slots of theintervening portion of said slotted lever and through said slide forpermanently connecting said parts together, a movable jaw mounted onsaid angular lever, and means pivotally connected to said movable jawand said slide for maintaining said movable aw substantially parallel tothe first mentioned jaw throughout the range of relative movement ofsaid levers, the said slide being mounted on said first men tioned leverfor reciprocatory movement with relation thereto.

7. In a valve spring litter and compressor, a lever, a jaw carried bysaid lever, and a reciprocatory element, in combination with a slidinglever slidably and pivotally connected to said first mentioned lever, amovable jaw mounted on said sliding lever, means for causing saidelement to move in accordance with the relative movement of said levers,means associated with said element and said movable jaw for maintainingsaid jaws substantially parallel to each other throughout the range ofrelative movement of said levers, and means for causing relative slidingmovement between said levers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification atLancaster, Pennsylvania, this 3rd day of March 1925.

HARRY W. KULP.

